The punishment of criminals should be of use; when a man is hanged he is good for nothing.

But there must be some pleasure in condemning everything--in perceiving faults where others think they see beauties.' 'You mean there is pleasure in having no pleasure.

All sects are different, because they come from men; morality is everywhere the same, because it comes from God.

What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal, supreme, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason.

All the known world, excepting only savage nations, is governed by books.

I acknowledge that four thousand volumes of metaphysics will not teach us what our soul is.

Happiness is not the portion of man.